Harare: The Southern African Development Community (SADC) is set to hold an extraordinary summit of heads of state and government on Wednesday in Harare, Zimbabwe, to address the security situation in the region. The SADC Summit is tasked with the overall policy direction and monitoring of the community’s operations, ultimately responsible for formulating the organization’s policies.
According to Angola Press News Agency, the meeting will be chaired by the host President, Emmerson Mnangagwa, with the objective of updating the political and security situation in member countries. The summit will be preceded by the Troika of the SADC body, chaired by Tanzania’s President, Samia Hassan, who is responsible for Cooperation in the Areas of Politics, Defence, and Security of SADC.
The summit will be preceded by preparatory meetings, including those of the SADC Senior Officials, the Ministerial Committee of the Organ for Cooperation in the Areas of Politics, Defence, and Security, and the SADC Council of Ministers.
The Republic of Mozambique, a member nation, is currently experiencing a post-electoral crisis that has resulted in the deaths of dozens and left hundreds injured.
SADC, consisting of 16 member states, was established in 1980 as the Southern African Development Coordination Conference (SADCC) and later evolved into the Southern African Development Community (SADC) in August 1992. Its mission is to promote sustainable and equitable growth, socio-economic development, and lasting peace and security, aiming for the region to become a competitive player in international relations and the global economy.
The current members of the organization are Angola, Botswana, Comoros, Democratic Republic of Congo, Eswatini, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Seychelles, South Africa, Tanzania, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.